Keen young local sailors will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the Tuia 250 voyage and to sail aboard double-hulled canoes and heritage and youth ships as part of a flotilla,

Ministry for Culture and Heritage chief executive, Bernadette Cavanagh, says. “The Tuia 250 Voyage Trainee programme is an exciting chance not only to learn about ancient voyaging traditions, sailing and navigation, but also to be part of a commemoration which celebrates New Zealand’s rich voyaging heritage,” Bernadette says.

“Tuia 250 trainees, including young people nominated through schools, will be given the chance to have an unforgettable voyaging experience, and at the same time learn about our history and take that back to their communities.

“I encourage all curious and adventurous New Zealanders to apply for the Tuia 250 Voyage Trainee programme,” Bernadette says.

The programme has spots available for 450 New Zealanders and 250 of those will be allocated by region to ensure this is an opportunity open to all.

There are also berths available for 200 students aged 14 – 18. Schools will nominate students for three types of voyages.

The Tuia 250 Voyage will travel to 15 sites around the country from October to December this year.

Voyage legs range from overnight to 15 days. Applications close on 16 June at 5pm.

In 2019, New Zealand will mark 250 years since the first meetings between Māori and Pākehāduring James Cook and the Endeavour’s 1769 voyage to Aotearoa New Zealand. Tuia – Encounters 250 will acknowledge this pivotal moment in our nation’s history as well as the extraordinary feats of Pacific voyagers who reached and settled in Aotearoa many years earlier.